DESIGNING FOR PLAY AND LEARNING
We were given the opportunity in our Curriculum Design class to create a classroom layout that reflected our understanding of responsive and intentional learning environments. This assignment is meaningful to me because it marked a turning point in how I think about space as an active part of children’s learning. Designing the classroom allowed me to consider how children explore, move, and engage with materials, and how each area can support belonging, curiosity, and well‑being. The layout includes small group places, quiet spaces, active areas, and clearly defined zones, which reflects my belief that the environment acts as a Landscape that guides children’s learning. This artifact also demonstrates how I apply theory from Dietze and Kashin and the Four Foundations in How Does Learning Happen to create inclusive and responsive spaces. It continues to influence the way I plan environments that honour each child as an Explorer in their learning journey.
STORY MAPPING
In our land based learning class, we were encouraged to reconnect with the land through observation, curiosity, and reciprocal relationships and I made this map using my experiences at my sit-spot at the Humber Arboretum. This Story Map is meaningful to me because it represents a shift in how I understand learning and my role as an educator. Through repeated sit spot visits, I learned to slow down and notice the relatives around me, including the walnut tree, squirrels, chipmunks, lamium plants, and the different pine species. I began to understand that each one has a story, a gift, and a responsibility, and that the land teaches us when we take the time to listen. This experience deepened my appreciation for Two Eyed Seeing, where knowledge comes from both Indigenous and Western ways of knowing. This artifact reflects my belief that children are natural Explorers who learn through noticing, wondering, and forming relationships with the world around them. It continues to guide how I plan curriculum that honours land, reciprocity, and belonging.
THE MAPLE TREE / SUGAR MAPLE
The Sugar Maple tree that I used for my land acknowledgement is meaningful to me because it represents a moment when my understanding of land, identity, and relationship deepened in a powerful way. Through my Child Development 6 to 12 Years class and my Land Based learning course, I learned that the Sugar Maple is considered the grandmother of all the maple trees in the Humber Arboretum. Professor Lynn shared that this tree carries teachings about care, generosity, and responsibility, and that it is from the Sugar maple tree that we receive the maple syrup Canada is known for. Standing with this tree helped me understand land as a living relative with its own story and gifts. This artifact reflects my belief that children are Explorers who learn through connection, gratitude, and relationship. It continues to guide how I honour land in my practice and how I support children in developing respect for the natural world.